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Learning English with CBCListening Lessons for Intermediate StudentsBased on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts

March 19, 2009Lesson 45: Teacher’s EditionLevel: Benchmark 5 and up

Topic: The Role of the PoliceLanguage Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for detail

Speaking – participating in a group discussion; reporting the details of a crime

Reading – reading a text and answering questionsWriting – making point form notes

Language Competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Sociocultural/sociolinguistic Competence

Language Tasks: Discussing attitudes toward the police in different countries

Listening for detail in a radio interview with Mike Sutherland, the president of the Winnipeg Police Association

Writing sentences comparing attitudes toward police in different countries

Reporting the details of a crime in a role play between a witness and a police officer

Reading a text on safety procedures during a robbery

Writing point form notes on safety procedures during a robbery

Reading a text about the challenges of policing a multicultural society and discussing questions

Essential Skills: Reading text, working with others, thinking skills, oral communication

Worksheets1: 1. Perceptions of the Role of the Police 2. Listen for Detail

3. Write Sentences Comparing Police in Different Countries4. Take Note!5. Witness a Crime6. Read and Discuss the Challenges of Policing in Canada

Appendices: Transcript of the podcast

1 Answers to worksheets are in the self-study version of the lesson plan. The Role of the Police Learning English with CBC of 15

Manitoba Memo

There are several different police forces in Manitoba. It all depends on where you live. Winnipeg, Brandon, and several other municipalities have their own police forces. This is also the case for some First Nations communities. The rest of the province is served by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, more commonly known as the RCMP.

In Canada, police forces have several main responsibilities. These include: maintaining public order; preventing crime; investigating crime; assisting victims; enforcing both criminal and traffic laws; responding to emergency calls, and responding to other calls for assistance.

Canadians are accustomed to seeing police in their communities. It is common to see police on foot patrol, vehicle patrol or at events. In some larger cities, police also patrol on bicycle and on horseback. Many Canadians feel safer when the police are visible in their neighbourhood. They believe that the presence of police deters criminal activity and helps prevent crime.

Police in Canada are not above the law. Individuals have the right to file complaints against the police if they feel an officer’s behaviour is inappropriate, racially motivated, discriminatory or illegal. These complaints are taken seriously and officers can face stiff penalties and/or dismissal if they are found at fault.

As Canada has become increasingly culturally, racially and ethnically diverse, policing has become a greater challenge. Newcomers and immigrants often have different attitudes and experiences with police in their countries. Police and law enforcement systems in Canada have not always been sensitive to these differences. Effective policing is always a work in progress.

Pre-listening activities

1. Compare the role of the police in Manitoba and your country

Ask students to work with a partner to complete the comparison chart on Worksheet 1.

Discuss the answers as a class.

2. Vocabulary

Elicit or present key vocabulary that students need to understand prior to listening to the podcast (see suggested vocabulary and explanations which follow). You can write the words on the board and elicit possible meanings from the class or break students into groups and give each group a few words to review. Groups can then present the vocabulary to the rest of the class. You can also ask students to mark the syllables and stress for each word, identify word families and practise pronouncing the words. You may want to ask students to think of sentences that use the new vocabulary. If your students keep a vocabulary journal, they can copy the vocabulary into their journal.

The Role of the Police Learning English with CBC of 15

Vocabularyassault If you attack someone violently, that attack is

called an assault. Assaulting someone is a criminal offence

Winnipeg Police Association The organization or union which represents police officers in Winnipeg.

addiction An addiction is when someone has a bad habit and is unable to stop. Addictions to substances such as drugs and/or alcohol are very harmful.

narcotics Narcotics are another name for illegal drugs.

offence An offence is an illegal action or crime.

stabbing A stabbing is when someone violently pushes a knife into someone and intends to harm them.

intoxicated An intoxicated person is someone who is drunk.

break the cycle If you break a cycle of behaviour, it means you try to stop behaviour that keeps repeating itself over and over.

auto theft strategy Manitoba’s auto theft strategy had two main components. One was that police targeted the youth who repeatedly stole vehicles. The other was that the owners of vehicles that were most likely to be stolen were required by law to install ignition immobilizers. This made it almost impossible for the vehicles to be stolen.

target the worst of the worst If you target the worst of the worst, you focus on the criminals who keep committing serious crimes and try to keep them off the streets.

custodial treatment Custodial treatment is when you provide rehabilitation programs and services for something like a drug addiction while a person is in custody or in jail.

corrections system The system of jails and facilities for those who commit criminal offences is called the corrections system.


per capita The average amount of something in a specific place. Per capita calculations are done based on population size. For example, Canada has fewer police officers per capita or for every 100,000 people than the United States.

judicial system The judicial system is the system that relates to judges and the decisions they make.

disclosure To make information known that may have been previously kept secret. For example, his lawyer disclosed or made known his client’s financial situation at the trail.

3. Predict what the podcast is about

In this interview, Mike Sutherland, the president of the Winnipeg Police Association, talks to Terry MacLeod about the role of the police in preventing violent crime involving gangs and illegal drugs.

Ask students what action they think Officer Sutherland will recommend to prevent these kinds of crimes.

He could suggest… that the city hire more police officers.He might suggest…ways to stop kids from getting involved in gangs.I think he will suggest…He might recommend…I don’t know what he’ll recommend.

While-listening activities

1. Introduce the podcast

Tell students that in this podcast, they will hear several speakers. They will hear:

Marcy Markusa – hostTerry MacLeod - interviewerMike Sutherland – president of the Winnipeg Police Association

Play the podcast for the first time.

2. Listen for detail

Hand out Worksheet 2. Review it with students and have them work in pairs to complete it.

Take up the answers as a class.


After-listening activities

1. Review pre-listening predictions

Review what students thought Officer Sutherland would talk about. Were they able to predict some of his suggestions or recommendations?

2. Write sentences using comparisons

Review the information on making comparisons on Worksheet 3 with the class. Have students work with the same partner they had for Worksheet 1, as they will use information from that activity to make their comparisons.

Extension activities

1. Make notes on safety practices in a robbery

Ask students to work with a partner. Hand out Worksheet 4 and review the instructions and the examples.

Discuss the answers as a class.

2. Reporting details of a robbery in a role-play

Review Worksheet 5 with students. Ask students to work with a partner for the role-play.

Ask several of the pairs to perform their role-play for the class.

3. Read a text about the challenges of policing in a diverse society and discuss questions

Students work in small groups for this activity. Review Worksheet 6 with students before they begin.

Have the groups report back on their discussion.

4. Invite a speaker into the classroom

After you have completed this lesson, you may want to invite a speaker to make a presentation to your students on a topic related to policing or crime prevention.

Students could practice their note taking skills during the presentation and practice asking questions of clarification.


Want to know more…

You will find the authentic text of the article Policing the Cultural Kaleidoscope: Recent Canadian Experience by Philip C. Stenning at: http://crpr.icaap.org/index.php/crpr/article/view/27/24

The site for the Winnipeg Police is: http://www.winnipeg.ca/police/

The RCMP website is: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/index-eng.htm

The Manitoba Chiefs of Police also have a website: http://www.macp.mb.ca/index.php

The website for the Law Enforcement Review Agency is: http://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/lera/index.html

To look for ideas for lesson plans for newcomers on policing, go to: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/communitymobilization/newcomer/docs/lesson_plans.pdf

(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites)


http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/communitymobilization/newcomer/docs/lesson_plans.pdf

http://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/lera/index.html

http://www.macp.mb.ca/index.php

http://www.winnipeg.ca/police/

http://crpr.icaap.org/index.php/crpr/article/view/27/24

Worksheet 1: Perceptions of the Role of the Police

The role of the police, and how citizens view the police, isn’t the same everywhere. In some countries, citizens do not trust the police and would not go to them for help. In other countries, police are expected to work with the community. They are also expected to follow very specific laws and procedures. Discuss the following questions with your partner. Make point form notes to answer the questions about the role of the police in your country, your partner’s country and Manitoba.

Question In my country… In my partner’s country…

In Manitoba/Canada…

1 What are some of the adjectives people use to describe the police?(For example: honest, brave, helpful, approachable, fair, dishonest, corrupt, friendly, knowledgeable etc)

2 Are people afraid of the police? If they are afraid, do you think there is evidence to support their fear of the police?

3 Are there a lot of police on the streets? Does their presence make people feel more or less safe?

4 Under what circumstances can a police officer enter a home uninvited? Do the police have to have reasons to search a private home?

5 Do police work with the community to educate them about crime prevention and about how to protect themselves from being a victim of crime? How do they do this?

6 Is it likely that a citizen would make an official written complaint against the police? If not, why not?


Worksheet 2: Listen for Detail

It’s important to learn how to listen for main ideas, detail and inference. These are skills you use at home, at the workplace, in the community, at school or when you are listening to radio or television. Read the true/false questions below with your partner. When you listen this time, listen for details to help you answer the questions.

Which of the following statements are true? Which are false? The first one is completed for you as an example.

Sentence T / F1 Addictions play a significant role in most crimes committed in

Winnipeg.T

2 Gang crime is linked to the sale of illegal drugs.

3 Intoxicated people can commit violent crimes.

4 Terry MacLeod has ideas about how to break the cycle of drug related crime.

5 Manitoba’s auto theft strategy was a success.

6 The strategy succeeded because it targeted every offender who had ever been involved in auto theft.

7 Officer Sutherland believes the auto theft strategy could be replicated to deal with gangs.

8 Custodial treatment for drug addicts takes place in the community so that offenders can continue to live at home.

9 Officer Sutherland believes Winnipeg has a reasonable number of police officers for a city of its size.

10 He thinks police officers would be better able to deal with crime if they had less paperwork to do.

11 In summary, his main recommendation is to focus police efforts on catching the worst offenders.


Worksheet 3: Write Sentences Comparing Police in Different Countries

We often need language to compare people, places or things. The interview you heard with Officer Mike Sutherland was part of a CBC series comparing crime levels in Winnipeg to those of other cities in Canada. Comparisons can be made on the basis of facts, or on the basis of personal observations, impressions or opinions.

First, read the information below on making comparisons.

Rules for making comparisons

To indicate whether there is more or less of a quality, use the comparative form of the adjective. For one or two syllable adjectives, add the suffix –er. If the adjective ends in y, use the suffix –ier.

For example: The study says Ottawa is a safer city than Winnipeg. This is because there are fewer violent crimes in Ottawa than in

Winnipeg.Does this mean people in Ottawa are happier than people in

Winnipeg?

If the adjective has three or more syllables, use the adverbs more or less to make the comparison. Many two syllable adjectives can also use more or less.

For example: Police officers in Winnipeg are more approachable than police officers in my country.Police officers in Winnipeg are less approachable than police officers in my country.Police officers in my country are more honest than police officers in Winnipeg.

Your turn

Look back at the chart you completed which compares police services in Manitoba and in your country. Can you write three sentences that compare police services? Try to include at least one sentence where you add the suffix –er or –ier and one sentence where you use the adverb more or less.

1.

2.

3.


Worksheet 4: Take Note!

Taking point form notes helps you remember important information. Let’s assume that you are looking at the chart below on an overhead projector. You don’t have your own copy. You want to remember the information because a relative of yours is working in a store that has been robbed in the past. You are taking notes so you can talk to them about the things they need to remember if the store is robbed when they are working.

Read the safety practices below with your partner. As you read each point, highlight, underline or circle the key information words. Then make point form notes in your own words using some of those words or phrases. The first two are completed as examples.

Safety Practices in the Event of Robbery2 Your Notes1. Remain cool and calm and handle the entire procedure

as if you are making a sale. Most robberies last under two minutes. The longer it takes, the more nervous the robber becomes, so keep it short and smooth.

- remain calm- keep it short

2. Listen carefully to what the robber says and obey instructions .

- listen- obey robber’s instructions

3. Don’t fight. Do not use weapons. Don’t jeopardize your own safety or that of co-workers. Don’t be a hero.

4. Give the robbers all the cash or merchandise they want. Your life and health are worth much more.

5. Do not delay or argue.

6. Warn the robbers of any surprises. Inform them about employees in a back room so they are not startled if someone appears.

7. Observe what the robber is wearing, their size, coloring, mannerisms and distinguishing characteristics but do not stare.

8. Activate the alarm after they have left the store. Observe which direction they go and what type of vehicle they are driving.

9. Call police and give them information you have.

10. Do not touch the crime scene or disturb evidence. Ask witnesses to wait for police. Call anyone who should be notified according to your store procedure.

2 From the Workers Compensation Board of BC “Take Care” document at: http://www.wcb.pe.ca/photos/original/wcb_wpviolence.pdf


Worksheet 5: Witness a Crime

If you witness a crime, would you be able to answer a police officer’s questions? Read the scenario below and then do the role-play activity with your partner.

Scenario: You are walking down the street at 7:30 a.m. on your way to work. It is still fairly dark outside. There is a woman walking down the street about half a block ahead of you. Suddenly, a young man races past you. As he passes the woman, he grabs her purse from her hand, knocks her over and keeps running. You see him turn right and run down a back lane.

You run to help the victim. She is rising to her feet. She is a little unsteady but says she is not hurt. Another passerby arrives on the scene and volunteers to call 911 on their cell phone. The police arrive quickly. They want to ask you questions about the incident and the suspect.

Role Play

Now you and your partner are going to role-play what happens next. One of you is the witness to the crime. The other student is the police officer that asks the questions. Use the suggestion box below for ideas for your role-play. You can make a few point form notes on the script on the next page to help you, but try to keep your role-play as spontaneous as you can.You can take turns playing the two roles.

Suggestion Box for Role Play

Questions for the officer Information for the witness about the suspect

General questions you can ask:

Ask if the witness can tell you what happened.

Ask the witness to describe the suspect.

Ask the witness to describe what the suspect was wearing.

Ask if the witness noticed the colour of the suspect’s clothing.

Questions to ask for more detail:

Could you be more specific about _____________________?

What else can you tell me about _________?

Young male

Short, about 5’ 2”

Heavy build

You did not see his face

Shoulder length blond hair

Red baseball cap

Black jacket with a Canadian flag on the sleeve

Wore running shoes

You don’t know where he went after he ran down the back lane


Here is an example of how the role-play could begin:

Police officer: (Introduces him/herself and says purpose of questions)I’m officer _________________. I understand you witnessed the purse snatching. I’d like to ask you a few questions.

Witness: (Say you will answer the questions)Certainly officer, I’ll do what ever I can to help.

Police officer: (Ask witness their name)First, can you tell me your name?

Witness: (Says their name)It’s ________________.

Police officer: (Asks what happened)Can you begin by briefly telling me what happened?

Witness: (Tells what happened)

Well, I was walking to work at 7:30 this morning and……

Police officer: (asks general question)

Witness: (responds to question)

Police officer: (asks for more detail)

Witness: (responds with more detail or says they do not have more detail)



Police officer: (asks for more detail)

Witness: (responds with more detail or says they do not have more detail)



Police officer: (closes the conversation)


Worksheet 6: Read and Discuss the Challenges of Policing in Canada3

Read the following text about policing in Canada with your group. Focus on understanding the main ideas. Then discuss the questions that follow.

Immigration and Policing

The increase in immigration to Canada in the past forty years has brought the country enormous benefits. But it has also led to significant challenges for police. These challenges include different attitudes towards government, law, justice, appropriate social order, interpersonal relations and child rearing. There are also many other unfamiliar (and in some cases illegal) cultural and religious practices. The numerous languages spoken by many of the new immigrants also present challenges for the police.

A variety of initiatives and activities have taken place in Canada’s police forces to meet the challenge of policing a diverse population. While these initiatives are sincere and well intentioned, they have met with limited success. Canada still experiences significant problems and tensions between and within its diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious communities. It also experiences problems between members of these communities and its police services. This is also true with respect to its Aboriginal population.

One reason success has been limited is because it is beyond the role of the police to address some of the underlying causes of the tensions. For example, it is not the responsibility of the police to deal with such issues as intolerance and unequal access to education, employment, and social services.

Despite these difficulties, there has been consistent progress toward more appropriate and effective policing of Canada’s multicultural society over the last 40 years.

Question for discussion

This article talks about what has happened in the past forty years. What do you think needs to happen in the next ten years to improve the relationship between newcomer and immigrant communities and Canada’s police forces? For example, what steps could be taken in each of the following areas:

Informing and educating the immigrant community about the role of the police and police services

Increasing the number of police officers who come from immigrant communities

Finding ways for the immigrant community and police to work together on issues related to crime and safety in neighbourhoods where immigrants live and work

Appendix 1: Transcript

3 Text adapted from excerpts from: Policing the Cultural Kaleidoscope: Recent Canadian Experience, by Philip C. Stenning, The Canadian Review of Policing (2004). Link: http://crpr.icaap.org/index.php/crpr/article/view/27/24


http://crpr.icaap.org/index.php/crpr/article/view/27/24

March 19, 2009 Speaker Podcast Line

Marcy Hi I'm Marcy Markusa and you're listening to Learning English with

CBC. Well like many cities around the world, Winnipeg has

problems with crime, and particularly with crimes involving violent

assault. Mike Sutherland, the president of the Winnipeg Police

Association, believes there are specific things police can do to

reduce these kinds of crimes. In this interview he tells Terry

MacLeod what he thinks the city needs to do to tackle the problem.

5

Terry Good morning.

Mike Good morning Terry.

Terry So so just how big a role, in your view, do addictions play in crime in

this city?

10

Mike Well I think when you get right down to it, there’s almost no crime

that isn’t traced back in some fashion or other to narcotics. Either

addicted people committing crimes to get money to feed those

addictions or ah gang members fighting over turf, etc, profiteering

from narcotics sales. Ah it’s very rare I think to find any kind of

offences that aren’t related in some way to some type of drugs or

addictions.

15

Terry And we hear also of a lot of stabbings and crimes that take place

when people are intoxicated, so that’s ah a different sort of addiction

but still the same origin.

20

Mike Exactly.

Terry So what do you think ah that we could do to sort of break the cycle of

addiction crime?

Mike Well, let’s take a look at, from a police perspective, some of the most

successful things that we’ve done, which is the uh the auto theft

strategy which targeted the worst of the worst so to speak. I think if

we did that for the gangs to begin with, the most violent offenders, ah

we targeted them.

25

Mike Also, in terms of gangs and gang organizations, the most ah ah 30


(continued) impact that they feel is when you take away their financial profits.

And then, moving to addictions itself, and having some very

intensive, custodial ah ah treatment, within the corrections system,

either through ah the federal or provincial level for offenders that

are addiction driven. 35

Terry So when you say custodial treatment, what do you mean?

Mike I think we ah you know I think we need to change the way we do

ah things to some degree ah ah for offenders that are are doing

crimes that are solely based on addictions. We need to have

some intensive treatment programs in custody. 40

Terry Now I understand that you think that Winnipeg has a reasonable

number of police officers but they don’t get to spend enough time

actually on the street. Why is that?

Mike Well we could always use more police officers Terry, there’s no

doubt about that. But in terms of where we stand per capita, we’re

we’re probably within the top 10 in terms of police officers per

capita, but I think we need to use them smarter. If gangs and guns

are our problem, then that’s where we need to concentrate our

cops.

45

Terry But ah I understand that you believe that ah police officers spend

too much time in the office because there’s too much paper work

to do. Why why is that?

50

Mike Well y’ know given the way that the courts have evolved over the

years, there’s a number of ah different demands that are placed

upon officers by the judicial system and a lot of that has to do with

paperwork and disclosure, things like that, photocopying of notes

for defence lawyers etc etc.

55


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